Assessment | Public Health - Environmental Health Emphasis

Assessments for the Environmental Health Emphasis are under development. Like those for the Public Health Education Emphasis, the assessment tools will be a combination of test questions, short answer questions, essays, reports, the required capstone paper in the Public Health Management (PUBH 5500) course, an evaluation form completed by the supervisor or each Environmental Health intern, and a survey of graduates. 

The courses will be for course-embedded assessments of Environmental Health Emphasis learning objectives are:

  • PUBH 3310 - Occupational Health and Safety
    • Covers the principles of occupational health and safety, including regulatory standards. Emphasizes on-the-job health and safety problems from the occupational health and safety professional and management view.
  • PUBH 3610 - Environmental Management
    • Introduction to environmental health, emphasizing relationships among environmental quality, public health, environmental and occupational health regulations, human health risk assessment, institutions, and engineered systems in environmental health management.
  • PUBH 4000 - Public Health Field Experience
    • Field experience in the practice of environmental health
  • PUBH 4030 - Communicable Disease Control
    • Comprehensive study of communicable diseases, including etiological agents, reservoirs of infection, and mechanisms of transmission, control, and prevention.
  • PUBH 4040 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology
    • Introduction to the study of the distribution and causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases of humans and other animals.
  • PUBH 4310 - Industrial Hygiene Recognition of Hazards
    • Through classroom and field experiences, provides an introduction to industrial hazards and familiarizes students with manufacturing and industrial processes in which industrial hygienists commonly work.
  • PUBH 5000 - Public Health Seminar
    • Participant seminar on current problems in public health.
  • PUBH 5500 - Public Health Management (CI)
    • Presentation of basic organizational and financial management tools that students will utilize in written and oral reports on an educational, environmental, or occupational health problem of their choice.
  • PUBH 5730 - Analysis and Fate of Environmental Contaminants
    • Provides students with understanding of methods used in analysis of environmental samples for organic contaminants.
    • Examines various properties and processes determining the fate of organic contaminants in the environment.

The Environmental Health Emphasis learning objectives, the planned assessment methods, and the courses that address each learning objective are:

1. Carry out the basics responsibilities of occupational health and safety professionals, including regulatory compliance and health and safety programs used in their day to day work activities.

  • Assessment: Multiple Choice Exam Questions; PUBH 3310 – Occupational Health and Safety

2. Explain the relationship among environmental quality, public health, environmental and occupational health regulations, and engineering systems in assessing and managing community risk.

  • Assessment:  Exam Questions and Assignments; PUBH 3610 – Environmental Management

3. Acquire experience in environmental health through an internship in which they practice all or some form of environmental health practice in prevention of contaminants in soil, water, or food, or in the many community practices of vector control

  • Assessment: Evaluation form of interns completed by profession supervisors; PUBH 4000

4. Identify communicable disease in promoting health in a community

  1. Build factual knowledge (facts, terms, methods, trends) about the major infectious diseases that shape human society
  2. Describe basic principles, generalizations, and theories about communicable diseases and their control
  3. Develop skills, competencies, and views valuable for careers in public health and health education
  4. Assessment: Exam questions and assignments; PUBH 4030 – Communicable Disease Control

5. Discuss and be able to apply concepts of epidemiology

  1. examine the foundations of epidemiology, including definitions, concepts, and applications of the field.
  2. describe important historical developments in epidemiology.
  3. explore practical disease concepts used in epidemiology.
  4. assess common study design strategies and statistical measures used in epidemiologic research.
  5. interpret the basics of causal and statistical inference.
  6. apply basic concepts and approaches used in the field of epidemiology.
  7. describe basic concepts of infectious disease, chronic disease, work, and environmental epidemiology.
  8. analyze aspects of molecular and genetic epidemiology
  9. Assessment:  Exam questions and assignments; PUBH 4040 – Fundamentals of Epidemiology

6. Compare industrial processes and hazards to understand the relationship and impact that such industries have on the local communities that the environmental health professional could serve.

  • Assessment: Exam questions, lab scores, and field trip reports; PUBH 4310 – IH Recognition of Hazards

7. Analyze an environmental health topic or current public health problem, prepare a presentation, and discuss that topic with an audience of peers; as an audience member, be able to participate in topic discussions.

  • Assessment:  Presentation Requirements; PUBH 5000 – PUBH Seminar

8. Discuss methods and processes used in analysis of organic contaminants that can enter the environment and be able to examine various properties and processes that determine the fate of organic contaminants

  • Assessment:  Exam questions; PUBH 5730 – Analysis and Fate of Environmental Contaminants

9. Complete a public health capstone paper in which the student demonstrates an ability to:

  1. Assess and evaluate the needs of a target population
  2. Develop an environmental health solution to mitigate or minimize the effects of the public health issue onto the target population.
  3. Formulate a cost analysis of the public health issue of concern versus the proposed cost of the environmental health program to determine if the intervention is cost effective.
  4. Determine a sound recommendation based on findings
  5. Assessment: Scoring rubrics for capstone paper and presentation; PUBH 5500